Simple Organized Luggage Tips + a Travel Packing List

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This post is in partnership with EzPacking.

Family travel doesn’t have to be hectic. I can pack my family of 4 quickly and keep us organized on the road. Check out these Simple Organized Luggage Tips and a bonus travel packing list.

Simple Organized Luggage Tips:

Pack your clothes in cubes. I love EZ Packing’s packing cubes. They make packing super simple and come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. The don’t take up much space and keep your suitcase tidy while traveling. They make unpacking at your destination easy. And if you’re traveling with kids, they can easily keep track of their own bags. Use the cubes to separate dress clothes from play clothes, kids clothes from adult clothes, or pants from tops. The possibilities are endless and the cubes will keep you so organized you’ll wonder what you ever did without them.

Keep individual toiletry bags packed, in an extra small cube, for each family member at all times. I keep our bags in my bathroom cabinet and are ready to go at a moment’s notice. This way there is no running around to the store at the last minute. Everything is fully ready to go. I replace things as they get old or worn out or used up, but I do it when we get back from a trip or in a down time between trips. Our toiletry bags are pretty simple and small. Just the basics…toothbrush, paste, floss, comb, face wash, and deodorant.

Buy a tower charger with a variety of different small cables. It saves you space and you won’t have to run around the morning you are trying to leave to make sure you have all the chargers and cords you need. Just keep them bundled up and stored in your suitcase for easy use when traveling.

Don’t over pack. (Although, my hubby says we do. lol) For a long weekend trip we take 2 pairs of pants/shorts (including the one we wear while traveling) and enough shirts +1 for each day we will be gone. For week long or longer trips, we take enough clothes for about 4-5 days and then do a load of laundry at the hotel. Doing a load of laundry has been my newest obsession. It really doesn’t take that much time to throw in one load of laundry while the kids play in the pool or when the kids to bed early or down for a nap. I love having fresh clean clothes on a trip and totally worth the hour and a half it takes. I don’t separate my clothes for washing/drying and I bring a couple laundry pods from home.

Fold your clothes with a folding board. I got mine as part of my set from EzPacking (they also come in the complete bundle set) and I can’t stop using it. I seriously use it for folding regular clothes when we aren’t traveling. The benefit to using a folding board is that it will fold everything to the same dimensions allowing you to pack your clothes more efficiently.

This one’s for the ladies. Be realistic in the amount of makeup, haircare, and shoes you will really be using. Will you really put on a full face of makeup at DisneyWorld in June….probably not. Just take the basics and 3 pairs of shoes…max! You want to relax and enjoy your vacation. Tennis shoes, dress shoes, sandals. That’s it!!! Plan your clothes around your shoes. If you are taking black dress shoes…pack only black pants and dresses.

Use a packing list! I used to hate making a list, but after a couple trips where we forgot a toothbrush or {dare I even mention it} shoes for my daughter I knew something had to change. I’ve created this simple packing list to use whether you are traveling for a weekend or for a two week vacation. There are plenty of blank spots in case you need to add something. If you are camping or cruising…check out my printable packing lists for those as well.